


V is for Veins

by scarletmanuka



Series: V/V Alphabet Challenge [22]
Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7800475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletmanuka/pseuds/scarletmanuka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Short and sweet. I have a fascination with veins in arms and hands and admit I swooned a bit when Vetinari was described so in Guards Guards.</p>
    </blockquote>





	V is for Veins

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet. I have a fascination with veins in arms and hands and admit I swooned a bit when Vetinari was described so in Guards Guards.

The Day of the Lesser Gods festival was beginning to cause Sam Vimes a headache. He couldn’t understand why the holiday had to be blown so far out of proportion this year. He’d have thought that throwing open the temple doors and having a welcome day would have sufficed, but no, not this year. This year, the priests and priestesses of the smaller religions had banded together and demanded an event that was equal to what the gods higher up the theological food chain received. And so now there was going to be a parade, and music, and stalls, and performances, and - Vimes had absolutely no doubt -  _ trouble _ . 

He sat at the conference table in the Oblong Office, scowling at everyone as the specifics of the day were hammered out. The High Priestess of Resonata, the Goddess of Weasels was arguing with the Abbot of Nog-Humpty, the Custard God about what shape the confetti should be. The scowl intensified. Really, he could think of much better ways to be spending his time.

He looked over to see how Vetinari was reacting to this nonsense. The Patrician was sitting at the head of the table, looking politely interested, but Vimes knew him well enough to see the slight tightening of the eyes that suggested his patience was wearing thin.

The sun was bright outside and shafts of light were spilling across the table. Vimes’ eyes were drawn downwards to where the light splashed across the arms of the Patrician. His elbows were on the table and his fingers steepled in front of him, causing the sleeves of his robes to droop down. This caused long, pale forearms to be revealed, and Vimes found himself fascinated by the myriad of blue veins just below the surface of the skin. He had never noticed how visible they were before, but it wasn’t often that the man revealed so much skin. There was something about those blue lines, the way they twisted about the taut tendons, that spoke of grace and strength. He was reminded of those marble statues that lined the halls of the Unseen University, the way the artists could capture the essence of a person for all eternity in the pale rock.

His eyes followed one of the more prominent veins up the arm and noted how it branched out as it reached the long, thin hands, running over the knuckles, moving ever so slightly as the Patrician shifted minutely. He wondered briefly what it would take to get the blood pumping through those veins, to make them pop. How would it feel to trace a finger along their length, to feel the pulse beneath.

Feeling eyes on him, he snapped his gaze upwards to find Vetinari giving him a quizzical look. He coughed, and turned his attention back to the High Priestess, feeling his cheeks flush at being caught out. He tried to pretend he hadn’t seen the small smile on the Patrician’s lips as he looked away, but it was much harder to ignore the way one slender hand slid down to casually rub at a blue and white forearm. 


End file.
